A Very Happy New Year
by moo-like-a-llama
Summary: The New Year is on it's way, and Max is all alone. When things for her start to spiral downward, theres only one person who can fix it...Oneshot, Fang and Max pairing. Read and enjoy!


Well hello everybody. It's New Year's Eve, and I'm supposed to be doing my homework, but I somehow found myself on Fanfiction. ((it could happen to anyone)). All of a sudden I was like "Le gasp!! I have an idea!!" So here it is: My New Years based Maximum Ride one-shot fluff fan fiction. ((pant …whoa… that was a mouth full))

Disclaimer: Jeez, I don't need one of these, of COURSE I own Maximum Ride. And I'm not really a teenage girl; I'm a SUPERHERO!!! My Father is Santa, and my Mother is the tooth Fairy!!

"_…And in just a short while we'll be back with some of your favorite musical artists. Stay tuned and see the New Year's Ball drop!! We'll be back after these short messages…"_

Max looked away from the television and sighed deeply, slouching over on the sofa. She still felt awkward in such a calm, serene, setting. Not to say that she didn't like it- she loved living with her mother. She loved actually _having_ a mother. But mostly, she loved that her mother loved her back. And still…. It was all so odd to be back in a comfortable home, celebrating a holiday like the most normal thing in the world. The Flock decided it would be nice to take a break, and 'fly home for the holidays'.

She sighed again. Normally, she wouldn't want to sound so pouty, but she was home alone, so nobody would hear. Everyone else gone out to celebrate the festivities. Her mom had gone out with friends to a New Years Eve party at a bar, and Ella had a friend with a birthday on New Years, so, predictably, the party was on New Years Eve. This left Max alone. She thought about going to visit the rest of the Flock, who were currently residing in a hotel not far from where he was, but decided against it. They had said they didn't want to impose, so they didn't stay with Max and her family. If she went to go visit them, it may seem like they were living in a hotel for no reason, because Max wasn't spending the time with her family anyway. No, it was better to leave the flock in the hands of Fang, and not disturb them.

Max sighed, yet again, and slid off the couch onto the floor. Her mother had asked if she would be alright home alone, and Max had said yes. She had a house, she had a family, and she was so glad just to have that. Max didn't want to sound greedy, or selfish, so she had told them to go. She had told them to go on, have fun, don't worry about her. She'd go visit the Flock. She hadn't said anything to her family about how she actually WASN'T going to see the Flock, and that she was just going to stay home alone.

But now she was having second thoughts. In all reality, Max didn't know who in the world she would rather spend the holiday with more than the five friends she had. Or at least Fang. If she could spend the holiday with only Fang, it would be just as great, if not better. But, that wasn't going to happen, so Max sighed, _AGAIN_, and clambered back onto the couch. The New Year would arrive in only a few minutes, and then she could go to sleep and move on with her life. But right now, she was bored. And more than that; she was lonely.

Not just longing for company, but Max really did feel all alone in the world right now. She wanted to say things to her mom and Ella, but she couldn't. It was either because they had only known each other for a short time, and Max didn't want to tell them everything just yet, or it was that she didn't want to put her family in danger, but for one reason or another, there were secrets kept. And she couldn't tell the flock everything, either. They still looked up to her. She still had to be strong.

But there was Fang. Max knew she could tell Fang just about anything in the world. Almost. There was one thing that she just couldn't say to him.

She loved him.

Max loved Fang but couldn't tell him. She had tried, but something had always stopped her. She had maybe opened her mouth to say something, but when Fang turned around and saw her there, she would pretend she was only about to yawn. Or maybe, she would be about to say something, but then Angel would come into the picture and she would have to go help her tiniest friend. Maybe, just maybe, if she could get Fang alone, she could just tell him how she felt.

But then again… If she did, and he didn't say anything back, would they still be able to be friends? And how would it affect the rest of the Flock? Could it really work out between them? Probably not… They would probably have to remain at this state forever. Stuck on the brink of boyfriend and girlfriend. More than friends… less than a couple. Like balancing on a tightrope, without being able to fall either way. Max tried to forget about it, and enjoy the holiday, but instead only found herself trying to hold back tears.

She finally broke, and tears began to flow freely. Max gasped pathetically and slumped further into the old maroon fuzzy couch. It was only then that she was glad nobody else was around. She didn't want anybody to see her looking so useless and pathetic. Especially Fang. She didn't want Fang to see. She just wanted to wallow away in her own patheticness.

But that couldn't happen, because this, of course, was the ever-adventurous life of Maximum Ride. If she wanted to wallow away, then she would have to wait, because there's always something else going on. This is all too true, but Max wouldn't know until it was too late. And so, she cried. She sobbed into a soft red pillow, burying her face as deep as possible to try and hide her tears. She didn't even hear the door softly open, and click back shut. She didn't hear the soft padded footsteps that walked down the hall and into the very room she was in. She didn't hear the boy walk up quietly to the back of the couch and look solemnly over her.

"Max?" Fang asked worried, looking down at her with eyes shadowed by his black hair.

The sudden new presence made Max jump, and upon recognizing the voice, she frantically tried to clear her tear stained face.

"Stop that Max, I know you were crying." Fang dug his hands far into his pockets.

Drat. Caught. She tried to deny it anyway.

"Don't be silly Fang, I wasn't crying." Wow. Good cover up. That'll throw him off for sure.

"Yeah, uh-huh." He walked around the couch and sat down next to her. His arm brushed against hers and Max felt a blush rise to her cheeks. _Oh well_, Max though_, I'm probably all red already anyway. So basically, no matter what, this pretty much sucks._

"What are you doing here Fang? You should be watching the flock." Max tried as hard as she could to stop her voice from shaking, but couldn't seem to conceal it.

"I just wanted to come say hi. I didn't want to miss you on New Years. Big holiday and all. Another new year; just like the one before it, and before that, and before that." He commented sarcastically.

"Well you've said it, so hi back. You can go now." She tried to turn around and make it look like she was busy with something else, but he caught her by the wrist and pulled her back.

"If you thought you could get rid of me that easy, than I know even more than before that something's wrong." Fang slid his hand from her wrist to her hand. His other hand protectively covered the rest of hers, and he comfortingly stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

Max couldn't help but let the last few tears silently slide down her face. "It's nothing Fang. Really."

"Come on Max," he fought back stubbornly, "You know you can tell me. When has there ever been a time you couldn't"

_That's the problem_, Max thought.

"Max?" Fang asked. Max realized she had zoned out, and hadn't yet replied. "I won't go until you tell me what's bothering you." Fang challengingly raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's just…" Max swallowed the lump in her throat and looked hard for words. "I don't know Fang. I just… I feel so alone. Mom and Ella are great, but we're not like a real family. We haven't known each other long enough. They still treat me like it's something special when I'm here, like you would treat a guest. So I can't tell them things. And I can't tell the Flock everything; they need me. I have to be there for them; I have to be strong. I just feel like I have no where to go……" Max trailed off and tears started to flow again. Max mentally punched herself. _Stop that max…_ she though,_ Not here… Not now; not in front of Fang…_

The television chimed in. "_Here comes the New year!! In Ten…"_

"Max…" Fang said reassuringly, wiping away her tears, "You know you're not alone. You're never alone."

"Nine…" 

"I-I know…" She couldn't look at him anymore.

"Eight…" 

"You know I'm always here, don't you?"

"Seven…" 

Max sniffed. "…Fang…"

"Six…" 

"You know that I'll never leave, because I'll _always_ be there for you Max, right?"

"Five…" 

"Look at me Max." he pleaded.

"Four…" 

Max brought herself to look him in the eye.

"Three…" 

"You promise me?" She asked.

"Two…" 

"I promise." Fang said, leaning closer.

"One…" 

Fang cupped Max's chin in his hand and lifted her face to his.

_"HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!"_

Fang closed the remaining space between them and kissed Max gently and passionately on the lips. Her eyes fluttered shut and Fang's arms snaked around her waist. Max found herself wrapping her own arms around the back of his neck, and kissing him back.

They finally parted, and voices of people outside all around the town could be heard cheering the arrival of the new year, but all the two could hear was the beating of their own hearts. They could only see each other, and for the moment, they were the only things left in the world.

"Happy New Year, Max," Fang whispered in her ear. He smirked and kissed her one more time.

Though, it was just one of many more kisses to fill the New Year.


End file.
